PF account is actually a kind of long term survival savings, in which both employee and employer put money. This money remains safe with EPFO.

There are crores of people in our country who are engaged in some job or the other and a fixed part of their monthly salary is deposited in Provident Fund i.e. PF account. This money is deposited for the future so that when the person leaves the job or retires, he remains with some economic security. PF account is actually a kind of long term survival savings, in which both employee and employer put money. This money remains safe with EPFO and it is invested by the government in safe places like government bonds etc. But people are often confused about whether money can be withdrawn from PF account in emergency or how much and how can money be withdrawn from PF account in emergency.

Can I withdraw money from my PF account in an emergency?

According to EPFO rules, you can withdraw money from your PF account for certain reasons. For example, you can withdraw money in case of medical emergency, for building or buying a house, for marriage or studies, and if you lose your job or remain unemployed for more than 2 months.

How much money can I withdraw from my PF account in an emergency?

The amount of money that can be withdrawn from my PF account in an emergency depends on the number of years you have deposited money in PF and the reason for which you are withdrawing money. For example, you can withdraw a certain percentage of the money deposited in case of a medical emergency, and you can also withdraw up to 90 percent of the money deposited for a house. EPFO sets different limits for each reason.

Easy process to withdraw money from PF

To withdraw money from your PF account in an emergency, visit the official website of EPFO and login by entering your Universal Account Number, Password and Captcha. If your UAN is not activated, activate it first. After login, click on the Online Services tab appearing on the top of the screen. Here click on Form 31, 19, 10 C option in Claim. Now your bank details will be visible. Verify them and then click on Proceed for Online Claim.

Now you will be asked which form you want to fill, like PF Advance Form 31. Then you have to tell why you want to withdraw money like illness, house, marriage. After this you have to tell how much money you want to withdraw. Now after filling all these things, upload a copy of the bank passbook or a photo of a cancelled cheque. At the last, give your consent and verify with Aadhaar OTP. If all the information is filled correctly and the document is cleared, usually the money is transferred to your bank account within 3 to 7 days.